There is a gal that goes to our church and I have been enjoying getting to know her! She is an amazing woman with a huge heart and an incredible talent. I first met Jeannie while doing, what we call, “Love in Action”. Her and her husband are disabled and are not able to do a lot of yard work. So a group of us from our church family spent the afternoon at their home in Lodgepole, Nebraska. Some of us pulled weeds, trimmed trees, others mowed the lawns and tidied up the grounds around the house. It was an awesome day – lots of work got done and by the time we were finished the front and back yard looked landscaped by professionals, and everyone had smiles on their faces.
A few months go by and I see Jeannie at our church Campout with her hubby, Ron, they had come for the day. We sat and talked for a while, at that time she told me that she was making me a quilt. I have to admit, at first I wasn’t sure why. So I asked her kindly, why I deserved such a treasure. In which she stated, “Because you came and helped fix up our yard.” She continued to tell me that she was in the process of making everyone that came, that day to help, there own quilt. At that point, I am pretty sure my jaw dropped. How?... Why?... oh my gosh. I was speechless. She started telling me about the ones that she had already finished, the one that she was currently working on and the ones that she still needed to start. I had so many questions at this point, but I was still speechless. I was in Awe of the kindness of this woman that I was still getting to know, who before that day had only met a couple of times before.
At the next church event, I sat down and talked with Jeannie. I already had a list going, in my head, of what I wanted to ask her. So I did. She started telling me about how God is providing everything that she needs to make these quilts. Her and her hubby are not wealthy in the monetary sense. But they are millionaires in the eyes of God! He has given her this amazing talent, and she uses it to bless others. There is a gal that is dedicated to making sure Jeannie has enough batting for the insides of the quilt. Many people give her fabric from their stashes. She says she can use any size piece, even as small as an inch-and-a-half square. Others have provided the thread. My mind is churning, thinking about all the fabric scraps that I have left over from making dog and cat collars, that I would normally toss or store, because I don’t know what to do with. She even says, with a huge smile on her face, “my husband helps too! He helps me stretch them out on the loom”.
Last Saturday Jeannie came to me at the Women’s Breakfast and gave me my quilt. I can’t even find the words that would do this quilt justice. The pieces of fabric she used on it – fit me to a T. Retro, Vintage, Lion King (which is one of my favorite cartoon movies), vibrant colors, and many more. How did she know me and my tastes so well after only visiting a handful of times. What a gift! My friends and pastor are already calling me Linus, because I feel like I take it every where with me so I can show it off.
If you have scraps of fabric that you can’t use and they’re collecting dust, send them to me and I will get them to her. If you have batting that you don’t know what to do with, send them to me and I will get it to her. Same with thread, she can use anything! Send it to Rural Housewife, PO Box 847, Chappell, NE 69129.
P.S. I am working on getting pictures of the quilts and their new owners and will post them here on the blog.
